1. Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to systems allowing ticket based purchases and more particularly to game-entertainment systems allowing both ticket based purchases and units of currency based purchases.
2. Description of the Related Art
A game-entertainment system such as a casino or other entertainment establishment may have various game machines that are configured to provide an instance of game play when a player inserts a ticket into the game machine. A ticket normally has a ticket identifier and may be associated with a nominal amount of credit or money. A central computer/server may have a data base of ticket account records, where a ticket account is associated with one ticket. The ticket account record includes a number of credits that may be used to purchase an instance of game play at a game machine and/or redeemed for a monetary amount.
When a player redeems a ticket in a game machine, the game machine reads the ticket identifier and sends information indicative of the ticket identifier to the central computer/server. The central computer/server determines the number of credits associated with the ticket, and provides the game machine with an indication of the number of credits associated with the ticket. If the number of credits associated with the ticket is sufficient for purchasing an instance of game play, the game machine allows the player to purchase an instance of game play. If the number of credits associated with the ticket is not sufficient for purchasing an instance of game play, the game machine prevents the player from purchasing an instance of game play until the player redeems a sufficient number of tickets.
Some game machines are ticket-only game machines. These game machines are configured to allow a player to purchase an instance of game play only when the player makes the purchase with a ticket. These machines may include software, firmware, or hardware that prevents the player from making a purchase of an instance of game with any instrument other than a ticket.
There is a need for systems, methods, and devices that allow a player to make a purchase of an instance of game with a ticket and with other instruments such as units of a currency and/or financial media such as credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, smart cards, etc.